"Sasuke, up." Itachi kicked Sasuke in the stomach.
"Hey!" Sasuke shot immediately up, all signs of sleep gone.
"Here." Itachi threw a crystal necklace at Sasuke. "Find out where the owner of this lives."
Sasuke caught the necklace easily, not even caring to glance at it. "Why?"
Itachi threw himself down in a chair. "Because I said so, that's why." He pulled off his shoes and vest, and unbuttoned his breeches.
Sasuke flung the necklace onto the dresser, all the while glaring at Itachi. "I'll do it tomorrow." Sasuke yawned and fell back onto his mattress.
Itachi, however, didn't hear him. He was busy going through the events of that night in his head.
I was engaged once… but that was a long time ago.
Itachi sighed as he closed his eyes. "Lucky bastard."
"Ahhh!!"
"What's wrong? My Lady?" Sakura ran into Naruto's room.
"It's gone, Sakura! It's gone!" Naruto scrambled through her room, searching every drawer and nook.
"What is gone?" Sakura put her hands on her hips and demanded an answer. Naruto had been known to overreact.
"My necklace. THE necklace. My mother's crystal!"
Sakura gasped. "You lost it?"
Naruto glared at Sakura through her tears. "Yes, okay? I lost it. Now help me look!"
Sakura and Naruto looked everywhere. They even pulled the covers off Naruto's pillows and shook them down.
Naruto collapsed to the ground. "It's not here."
Sakura stood, looking around the room, chewing on her lip. "Well," she began to pace, "Perhaps you took it off somewhere and just forgot it."
Naruto shook her head. "I know I had it tonight at the masque. Then…well, I came back." She dropped her head into her hands.
Sakura tapped her fingers on her hips as she thought. "Well…then perhaps it fell off in the carriage or at the masque. Don't worry, we'll find it."
Naruto nodded though she felt it was hopeless.
"Naruto?"
"Hm?" Naruto snapped out of her thoughts.
Hiashi Hyuga sat at the head of the table. "Are you not feeling well?"
Naruto looked down at the ramen she had been picking at. "No, I'm quite well; I'm just a bit tired. Perhaps I'll retire for the night."
Hiashi nodded. "Last night must have been rather exhausting for you. From what I hear, you had not a moment of peace."
Naruto forced a small smile. "Yes," Her thoughts flickered to the man she had met. "Well, it wasn't all bad. Excuse me." She stood to leave.
"Where's your necklace?"
Naruto's head snapped to Hinata. She blushed. "Sorry, I just noticed you weren't wearing it."
Naruto cleared her throat lightly and tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Well?" Neji sat in the corner. He usually wasn't found in the Hyuga house but for some reason, that day he had decided to show.
"I…" Naruto placed a hand to her neck and looked down.
"Nara?" Hiashi leaned forward over his soup.
"I…misplaced it." She choked out.
"Oh, my." Hinata bit her bottom lip.
Naruto sat back down and poked at her ramen.
"Do you have any idea where you may have left it?"
"Any idea where I…" Naruto hadn't expected Hiashi to be concerned with the matter. "Oh, um… Perhaps the carriage…or possibly at the masque." Naruto fiddled with her sleeves.
Hiashi stood. "Well then, it must be found. I will have Sakura and Ino look through the carriage, and I will personally attend a search at the hall."
Naruto jumped to her feet. "You really don't have to do that just for me, Lord Hyuga." Though it really did make her feel better to know that he wanted to.
Hiashi shook his head. "Naruto, I know how much that necklace means to you. I would do the same for Hinata. Honestly Nara, I love you as if you were my own daughter."
Naruto blushed and blinked profusely to hold back the tears that budded at thought of her family.
"Where is the necklace?" Itachi stood over Sasuke, who had slept in…again.
Sasuke turned over, mumbled something incoherent, and went back to sleep.
Itachi's eyes narrowed. He lifted one side of the mattress, knocking Sasuke to the floor.
Sasuke leapt up at once. "'ey!"
Itachi dropped the mattress back in place. "I would think by now you knew that when I say something to you, you get up."
Sasuke brushed a hand through his hair. "Jerk."
Itachi ignored him and repeated his question. "Where is the necklace?"
Sasuke motioned toward the dresser. "There."
Itachi glanced toward the spot. "No, it's not."
Sasuke mumbled something about Itachi being stupid as he stomped over to the little dresser. "It is right…oh."
Itachi smacked the back of Sasuke's head. "I told you it wasn't there, so why did you look?"
Sasuke stepped on Itachi's foot and punched him in the face. "'Cause that's where I put it."
"It is definitely not in here."
"Just keep looking, Ino." Sakura lifted the cushions from the seat.
"I have been looking, Sakura. This is so ridiculous. I'm sure if Lady Nara just asks, Lord Hyuga will buy her another one anyway." Ino looked at her reflection in the window as she smoothed down rouge hairs.
"Ino!" Sakura threw one of the cushions at her. "It was her mother's. How insensitive can you be?"
Ino glanced at Sakura for a moment. "You are picking that up." Then she went back to her hair.
Sakura slammed down the other two cushions. "It's not here!"
Ino didn't bother looking away from her reflection this time. "I told you."
"Nothing?"
"No, I'm terribly sorry, Nara."
Naruto looked around the hall, remembering the night before. "I have no idea where it may have vanished to."
Hiashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Perhaps a guest found it. I'm sure it will be returned."
Naruto nodded slowly. Her eyes were downcast.
"Nara?" Hinata approached her.
Naruto glanced at her. "Yes?"
"I…" Hinata twiddled her fingers. "I know how much that necklace meant to you…so… I wanted you to know that…um…you can have one of mine…that is…if you want one."
A small smile found its way to Naruto's face. "Thank you, Hinata. You have no idea how much that means to me but…I don't want to take anything of yours. I'll be alright."
"Are you sure?"
Truthfully, Naruto wanted to say no. She wanted to cry on Hinata's shoulder for hours about how much that small crystal had meant to her.
"Yes, I'll be fine."
yay! another chapter! who wants to dance? oh, yeah! let's dance!
